“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.” - George Orwell
I think most writers can relate to this quote, and if this is what an amazing writer like George Orwell thinks about writing, then it makes me feel substantially better.
There is no doubt in my mind that writing is a lonely and arduous job but I think that it would be exponentially worse if, we, writers did not go through the struggle.
Having writer’s block is an illness that we never want to get but then there are the voices in our heads, of people who we want to meet and get to know better and of stories we need to tell, that is the driving force behind a writer and I think it’s moments like these when you can capture those conversations and stories into words that the struggle becomes worth it.
In saying that, I did struggle a little this week but I managed to write consistently. As a reminder, I aimed to write 770 words a day and about 5400 words for the week. Here is a breakdown of what I achieved this week:
Monday - 1680
Tuesday - 750
Wednesday - 894
Thursday - 0
Friday - 870
Saturday - 0
Sunday - 1418
Total - 5612
I actually went over my goal by 200 words so I’m hoping to keep up the pace this week with with the same goals. Hope everyone else reached their goals for the week!
I would also like to know what drives you to write and achieve your goals.
Great news, Komal, on the word count. That's a great quote at the top of your post. I think Orwell was on to something! Ha!
ReplyDeleteI love writing, but some days...lol. No writers block for you..and I hope this continues into the next week as well.
As for what drives me to write....
I've been an avid reader since I was quite young, and I love getting lost within a story. Having an active imagination, I decided that I would write my own stories for others to get lost in - and the best part is that along the way, I get to enjoy it, too!
Looks like you are doing great on your writing goals. Keep up the good work. I love the quote at the top, as it is so true. The process and motivation of writing couldn't be summed up better!
ReplyDeleteAs for what drives me, I think you pretty much said part of it. There is a story inside my head and it is begging to get out. Ignoring it does not make it go away. Also, there are times I am looking for a certain kind of book to read with a particular kind of character(s) and plot, only to realize it doesn't exist! That is when I decided it was time to step in and make it happen. If it is something I'm interested in reading, maybe others will be too.
Glad to see you joining in ROW80. I hope this next week is just as productive as the previous one :)
Excellent work this week! I've found the only way to conquer writer's block for me, personally, is to just keep writing, even when it feels difficult or whatever I'm writing is just terrible. And eventually, I break out of it and it gets better.
ReplyDeleteI'm always driven by the mere fact that, despite those struggles, I absolutely love writing and I know I'm happiest when I've been writing. Even my roommate commented on the fact that I seem to be in a much better place now that I've dedicated so much of my time and attention to being serious about writing. And the fact that, one day, I might even be able to do this thing that makes me so happy ALL THE TIME is really what puts the fire under my feet!
Even when I have to all but chain myself to my chair to make myself write my minimum for the day ;)
Kudos for continuing to move forward. YOU ROCK!
ReplyDeleteI am inspired by the process itself, the moving thoughts and ideas through the ethers onto the page. I am also inspired by readers reading my words... which is why I love blog comments so much and responses from the articles and poetry I write as well.
Best wishes for a productive week!
hi komal - i'm so impressed by your progress this week! and not write a couple days is important, too. not only in letting you catch up on life, but also to recoup creativity and let things sink in.
ReplyDeletethis is a little lame, but goals are what keep me in line. i have an over abundance of ideas, and a tendency toward procrastination/dreaming. not a good mix!!!
happy sunday,
gina
www.ginacarey.com
Good job with working through it. When I'm block, I still sit down, pen in hand and just write what comes to mind. Sometimes it turns out good, other times eh!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Komal! Persistence beats perfection any day. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteMy main motivation to write is my love of people, words, and story. I love when someone's work transports me to another place, another life. I want to create that same joyful experience for others. I set goals because I want to be good at it.
Great job Komal. It's strangely comforting to know we all share that struggle.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! That's great you were able to exceed your goal even when you struggled.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that quote -- I love it! Your thoughts on writer's block are dead on. I know I have people living inside my head who want to be free, who want to meet the world, who have dreams and ideas all on their own, independent of me. I hope to share these people with the world someday, and I hope to meet the "people in your head" as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support everyone and for sharing your struggles and motivations!
ReplyDeleteYou're going so well on the word count, Komal. I agree with everyone else about the quotation--it rings true.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I write? I think like many have said, I have these characters in my head who want to have their say. With my non-fiction, I am hoping to encourage the readers to see something new, whether differently from what they have seen before, or something they might never have noticed.
Have a great week, Komal. You'll be blazing through the word counts soon!
Elizabeth